Confronting Error with Condemnation, Not Conversation B

Verse 15 Wo verse 16 Wo 2325 pronouncing horrendous horrific judgment on them. Verse 33.

You brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell condemnation comes separation as low as possible and shake hands over them as often as they can. Unity is certainly a priority for Christians, but the problem is many churches today are doing away with walls that are essential. Accepting people who teach a counterfeit gospel, and even elevating non-Christians to positions of leadership. So today on grace to you.

John MacArthur helps you know where to draw the lines as he looks at the bold stand. Jesus took against false teachers.

It's part of John's study called how to talk to a heretic and out with the lesson here is John Luke chapter 20 verses 45 through 47. Let me establish them in your mind follow as I read Luke chapter 20 beginning in verse 45. And while all the people were listening. He said to the disciples.

Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the marketplaces and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets who devour widows houses and for appearances sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation strong words, unmistakable words. Now let's look at the text.

Three points. Caution characterization condemnation, but for the caution very simple. Beware of the scribes, beware of the scribes in Matthew's lengthy record of the Lord's denunciation. It is beware of the scribes and Pharisees, scribes were Pharisees scribes were Pharisees.

There were the law. Experts, not all Pharisees were scribes but scribes were Pharisees there were non-scribal Pharisees, but scribes were Pharisees. They were the experts in the law. There were the legalistic self righteous sect effect.

The Jews had a saying saying like this. Moses received the law and gave it to Joshua. Joshua received the law and give it to the elders.

The elders receive the law and give it to the prophets the prophets received the law and gave it to the Pharisees and scribes. They were the treasurer's of the law of God. They were the ones given the trust. They were experts they were the lawyers of visual memory got the credit kingdom were all law is viewed as God's law, not just biblical law but the law of tradition. The laws that had grown up through the years.

All that composite of law was viewed in a theocratic way. It was all the law of God, so those who knew the law of God interpret the law of God, and applied the law of God were the lawyers in Israel, they were not just giving Pharisees end and rabbis and priests, and others insight into the meaning of Scripture. They were also interpreting all the law, not only in its interpretation but in its application.

They were the lawyers in Israel they cared for all matters legal. They were the dominant force in Judaism, not only religiously but socially. They handle all legal matters for people property states contracts resolutions all those things fell into the hands of these lawyers was no different then than it is for us all legal matters ultimately end up in the hands of lawyers and so did end up in the hands of the scribes, but from their viewpoint. Everything was sacred and every adjudication that they rendered in every position that they took was in fact supposed to be a representation of God and what God will stewardship if you will, from God because they then were the agents of God. They carried with them tremendous weight and trust people had nowhere else to turn. Because there were no others than the scribes to handle all other matters. He warns everybody both the crowd and the disciples to be where Press Secretary op take heed to guard yourself against Hagan to do that high because they are into everything.

How are you going to extract yourself from this theocratic environment where everything falls into the lap of the scribes, and they they render their will on everything. The last thing the Jesus would say to them is there basically good guys.

They have religious intentions. They have some spiritual insights. Let's have a conversation push them away get away from them by June 23, talks about going to get your garments sustained or you'll get burned if you get to close where they such a threat because they are not godly. They do not know God they do not have spiritual wisdom.

They are destructive they are agents of Satan sent to fight the purposes of God. Do you understand and this is such a basic thing I've said many times in years. False religion never restrains the flesh, so these people all operate like the worst of the unregenerate except it isn't apparent on the surface.

False religion can't subdue the wretched heart that can only be subdued by read generation that only happens by means of gospel truth so they are always going to be one thing on the outside and something else on the inside.

Beware of that they are not godly they don't have anything spiritual you offer they can't give you anything beneficial. They are destructive they are deadly they are dangerous. Don't get near them you get singed stained stairway why someone something as basic as Psalm one says this the beginning of the Psalms lesson one Blessed is the man doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked who doesn't stand in the path of sinners and sit in the seat of scoffers don't assemble with them from the caution comes the characterization. Here's how he characterizes them. Verse 46 the like to walk around in long robes love respectful greetings in the marketplaces chief seats in the synagogues, places of honor at banquets who devour widows houses and for appearances sake offer long prayers. While all that sums up in one word, hypocrites all people in false religion are hypocrites.

They don't know God they do not know God can't get there except through Christ our Lord pulls no punches the main element is that they are all spiritual phonies. They are all spiritual frauds. Now his audience to be very familiar with these kinds of things that they did.

Let's just work our way through six of them. First, they like to walk around in long robes record Stolle from which Millward stole comes the rope to the ground and they began to develop robes that were very different than other people's robes. They were robes that had certain little things on markings and fancy things they became unique and fancy and expensive robes that would identify them as the holy people. They lengthened the tassels on the robes Matthew 23.

Five says that comes from the Old Testament in the Old Testament back in Numbers 15, verses 38 to 40. God had ordained that the Jews could put little tassels on the bottom of the robe and it was a really wonderful little kind of symbol to remind them of the law of God everywhere you go you see that remind you of the law of God. Jesus had them on his robe according to Matthew 920 is what they did but the scribes and the Pharisees lengthened the tassels, not for the sake of a better memory device but for the stay sake of ostentation appearance they were trying to bring attention to God and his word there trying to bring attention to themselves as if they were holy. It was a way to position themselves to posture themselves to achieve what they wanted and what they wanted was to get into the lives of the people and abuse and use the people for their own self will so they were special close. Think about that every time I see somebody dressed in some ridiculous religious garment parading around as if this is some indication of greater holiness instead of little thing on the bottom of the rope to signify submission to God's law, they had developed these kinds of robes that just brought status to them. Still, the way it is today. People wearing religious robes. Secondly, they love respectful greetings in the marketplace. Rose moved in and out of people in the daily life, public life, they expected to be addressed with titles of dignity back to Matthew 23 again in that full treatment of Matthew 23 of our Lord's words about them.

He does tell us the particular titles that they liked it says some in verse seven.

They want to be called by men, Rabbi will use the English transliteration Rabbi meeting resulted teacher excellence.

The most knowledgeable one most wise to be tantamount to. I suppose calling someone Dr. today. They were at the top effect. They were so exalted. If you recall Rabbi you are so exalted in the Talmuds Sanhedrin 88 is the location in the town, but it says that it is more punishable to act against the words of a scribe than the words of Scripture. They wanted to be called excellency elevated one most knowledgeable one exalted one what they sought.

They also wanted to be called father verse nine.

Do not call anyone on earth your father for one is your father. He was in heaven. Father meeting source. Not only are they exalted in their wisdom, but they are the source of spiritual life. Here, the source of spiritual truth. They want to be father Pro generator creator so they want to wear fancy robes. They one take exalted high and mighty sanctimonious titles they want to be called father as if they are the source of spiritual life. They want to be called leader verse 10 do not be called leaders for one is your leader that is Christ call yourself servant they wanted to be leader that is the one who determines direction, the one who determines destiny, the one who sets the course. False teachers are never humble. They wear the façade of humility, but keep it in mind if you reject the truth.

That's the proudest thing you can do to set yourself against God and his word right you reject the Bible you reject the gospel. That's the ultimate act of pride, false teachers are never humble.

The proudest thing you can do is reject the word of God rebel against that.

That's what they do and they want to be exalted by title and by garb. Thirdly, they love not only respectful greetings in the marketplaces same verb they love chief seats in the synagogues they had elevated platforms in the front of the synagogue important scribes and Pharisees would sit up on that elevated platform recognized as the experts in the law visiting scribes coming from their own place to another synagogue would expect to be assured up to the elevated place start to get the picture now you know why I am not called Dr. why I don't wear a robe and don't sit on the platform.

Just a small way to keep from any of this and fourthly they love places of honor at banquets and kind of a special occasion. Want a place of honor which is next to the host want to be the center of attention. The most honored of all this, what their efforts all about pride. All for those things have to do with pride elevation with the Sikh religious leaders are after this false religious leaders turned the corner with the fifth one verse 47, who devour widows houses know what is this. First of all let me just tell you the word devour is a very strong word. There is a verb in the Greek S feel it means to consume or devour or that's metaphoric literally means to eat the word reading, but metaphorically, to devour consume. This is not us that with this is practice for always. When you add the preposition at the beginning you intensify the verb. This is to totally consume to plunder to eat up. Hence, devour in the strongest sense they go after the most defenseless like the false teachers serve whom Paul writes to Timothy, they go after silly women they go after the unprotected and the week they devour widows houses widows are the easiest ones to get to what you mean, what is will first of all, widows were to be protected right back in the Old Testament. Pure religion says James is to care for widows Exodus 2222 Deuteronomy 1018, Malachi 3, five, and other Scriptures called upon the people of God to care for widows, God cares for Windows. The scribes devour them how they did not keep in mind the day were the lawyers of the system so when a woman who was a widow needed someone to protect her. She returned to a lawyer with the idea and protect your home or property. All of those things some interesting study has been done some interesting research on the kind of behavior that was going on here is just a brief look at it. First of all, they would take support money for themselves from widows. Although it was forbidden knowledge without price. Knowledge without price. That was the code of the true Rabbi. Certainly with regard to widows, they would disobey that and whatever wisdom they would give to widows, they would charge them and do so exorbitantly.

What could a widow do. Secondly, they would cheat widows of their estate by getting into the legal machinations under the guise that they would provide legal protection they would literally begin to eat away the estate of that widow. Thirdly, they would leach on and abuse hospitality. Take advantage of available room, board, food. There are some stories about gluttony and excessive drinking. Taking that from for widows.

Another way by mismanaging the property of widows, so that out of complete carelessness.

A widow was absolutely made destitute whether popular ones was to take money from older widows with deficient mental powers take advantage of those who were unable to defend themselves mentally. Maybe the worst they would accumulate debts. The widow would owe them and owe them and owe them and be unable to pay them so they would take the widows home as pledge for the debt thus devour the house in the little couldn't pay the throughout.

That is why they are characterized in the words of Jesus and aridity again.

Luke 1139 you are full of robbery you are full of robbery and wickedness or the words of Jesus in Luke 16 for the words of Luke, I should say Luke 1614, the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, proud and greedy that characterize them. That's typical of false teachers.

They do they do for filthy lucre. They elevate themselves. They put on a façade of spirituality and they bilk the most helpless, defenseless people have their lawyers to do that.

Thank the Lord for Christian lawyers and lawyers with integrity don't do that, but their lawyers to do that you know something. There are evangelists to do that false evangelist. False religious teachers take money out of people's pockets so false teachers are proud and greedy not alter the same degree and then six for appearances sake.

They offer long prayers.

Nothing on the long prayer prayed a few myself but some wrong with praying one for pretense, praying just to be seen. Member Matthew six, five and six where Jesus condemns that kind of praying in the sermon on the mount which was so characteristic of these false leaders. He says this when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners in order to be seen by men. Spiritual frauds spiritual phonies taking advantage of people to do it under pretense. By the way the word under pretense. Interesting work.

Profit essay is the word that that which is put out in front to hide the true state of things for what it is they hide the reality of what they are. It's a specious cloak, but they where long prayers to game. False teachers play again in Matthew chapter 23 the Lord describes this kind of hypocrisy. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees verse 25 hypocrites you clean the outside of the cup and the dish inside your full of robbery and self indulgence, you blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the dish that the outside of it may become clean.

Also woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appeared beautiful but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. And even so you to outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness that those of the was the most religious people in Israel.

Jesus didn't have a conversation with the most religious in Israel, he issued a con them nation. That's why Matthew 23 again as long as you're there, look at it verse 15 woe that means damnation cursing.

Verse 16 Wo 2325 2729 whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa pronouncing horrendous horrific judgment on them.

Verse 33 you serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell. That's condemnation had a conversation with go back to Luke and we see the last words of the chapter, we saw the caution and the characterization here is the condemnation, D's will receive greater condemnation. The key is greater not lesser because the religious, the Lord is a little like them all of a sudden because they're religious because they're good because their moral because God loves all religions and all religions love God and Jesus loves all religions and all religions love Jesus. This is wonderful know he pronounces on them a more severe damnation, greater parasite around its comparative criminal judgment of Paris on a run a far greater and excessive, more abundant, or if you will, an extraordinary condemnation more than the usual religious people get a greater damnation, not a lesser one. Far from pleasing God somehow because they've lived up to what ever truth they had, they receive a greater condemnation, specially if they trampled underfoot the blood of the covenant counted an unholy thing.

Hebrews 10 2931 rejected Christ the ideas clear urine wrong religion urine to be condemned. If you're a purveyor of the wrong religion urine receive a far greater suffering and damnation in hell.

There dangerous. Be warned there hypocrites there worthy of con them nation compassion.

Yes gospel give them the gospel pray for their salvation. Have a sad heart but in the end we have nothing to learn from false teachers and false religions, and they must know that they are under sentence of divine condom – must know, for their sake and the sake of those who need to be protected from your listening to John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary and the featured Bible teacher here on grace to you. The title of his current study, how to talk to a heretic, John, Jesus described himself as meek and lowly in heart, and yet from what we've seen in this study. In the past three weeks. That doesn't exhaust the personality characteristics of Christ what what you hope listeners take away from this study that I think for a lot of people has been a rather surprising snapshot from the life of Christ that will his meek and lowly mentality had to do with he had nowhere to lay his head. Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, the sentiment is nowhere to lay his head.

He was over he was a wandering vagabond, essentially during three years of his ministry. He basically had the clothes on his back. He didn't own anything he we don't think he had any possessions of land or houses or his meekness and lowliness is of course because of his condescension because he is the true and eternal God and he becomes a man as Paul says to the Philippians comes all the way down, taking on the form of a man all the way down from there to death, even the death on the cross so the meekness and lowliness is basically speaking of how he he lowered himself the can notices Sally took the form of a man at the humblest level dependent on others around him did to even meet his basic needs.

But when it came to the truth, there was not meekness and lowliness in the truth. There was there was the truth and the truth is the force.

The truth is afire. The truth is a sword.

The truth comes with power. So we've been looking at Jesus, not so much in his humility, as in his truthfulness and that's where the confrontation came with the leaders of Israel, or for that matter with anybody who was propagating error will bring it to a close today. It's been a great series how to talk to a heretic.

Learning from Jesus taken out of Luke 19 and 20 oh what captured his attention.

What got him fired up to confront these people. In a word, religious corruption, and so the series how to talk to a heretic shows you how Jesus dealt with the religious leaders who taught lies and deceit and it helps you with facing the very same realities because they're always around how to talk to a heretic and a great series love to have one in your hands and you can download them@thetty.org on an MP3 file.

Remember, the new book would been telling you about just the past couple of weeks. Jesus unleashed perfect complement to the series we just finished yes it is in both the audio study and John's new book show you how to defend key biblical doctrines just like Jesus did.

And frankly it's never been more important to be able to stand up for God's word so order how to talk to a heretic.

The series and the book Jesus unleashed when you contact us today. Call our toll-free number 855 grace for shop online@tty.org if you'd like to watch the how to talk to a heretic study with your family or small group. It's available on DVD. You can also purchase the audio series in CDN like all of John series how to talk to heretic is free to download@tty.org and remember John's newest book called Jesus unleashed. It's a perfect complement to the series. Just finished call 855 grace or go to TTY.org to order your copy, and when you visit TTY.org take advantage of the thousands of free resources there for you including Grace dream which gives you all John's teaching through the entire New Testament in a continuous loop. Fill your mind with biblical truth by listening to grace dream@tty.org now for John MacArthur.

I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to tune in.

When John looks at how you can honor the Lord and have true peace no matter how hostile the culture gets toward Christ in God's word that timely series is titled faith through the fire. That series starts Monday so be here for another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you